Fryer breaks down CIF quarterfinals

Yes, that is the No. 1 team in Orange County.

A few weeks ago, Tesoro was getting all of the No. 1 votes in the Orange County football media poll, except for one. One voter had Mater Dei as the No. 1 team on his ballot. That voter was me.

That was based on the belief that if Tesoro and Mater Dei played each other, Mater Dei would win.

Those teams did play each other Friday in a Pac-5 Division second-round game of the CIF-Southern Section playoffs. Tesoro won, 38-35.

OK, Tesoro you are No. 1. No doubt about it.

And while we are on the topic of who is No. 1 … Tesoro receiver/defensive back Preston King is the best player in Orange County. Brian Barnes of Tesoro is the leading candidate, too, for county coach of the year honors.

Going into this season, the No. 1 player in the county, and the nation, was Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley. Barkley has not had the kind of senior year he would have preferred. Under duress and forcing throws when he should not have, Barkley threw four interceptions Friday against Tesoro to give him a county-high 18.

Barkley was under a lot of pressure this season. He had to follow a junior year in which he was Gatorade’s national player of the year, and Gatorade’s national athlete of the year. How could he top, or even equal, that?

His season is over, but many other outstanding players have at least another week to play. Tesoro advanced, and will play Orange Lutheran in the Pac-5 semifinals. Lutheran beat Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, 24-14.

Tesoro-Orange Lutheran will be played next Saturday, at one of the three venues: Cal State Fullerton; Santa Ana Stadium; or Orange Coast College.

Mission Viejo was eliminated by Lakewood, 28-7. Lakewood will play in the semis against Long Beach Poly.

In the Southwest Division, it will be a Century League rematch in one semifinal, in which Tustin plays Canyon. Tustin beat Canyon, 42-13, in a league game on Oct. 24. Tustin has scored 125 points in two playoff victories, and Canyon has scored 88 in its two playoff victories.

The other semifinal has Trabuco Hills against La Habra. Trabuco, suddenly one of the hottest teams in the land, beat Western, 28-21. La Habra beat two-time defending champion El Dorado, 23-14.

That division has some high-scoring teams. Tustin has scored 125 points over two playoff games. La Habra has scored 106 over two games.

The Southern Division semifinals have two teams from the Suburban League, Norwalk and Mayfair of Lakewood, and two from the Pacific Coast League, Laguna Hills and Corona del Mar.

St. Margaret’s got its 40th consecutive victory with a 17-6 triumph over Yucca Valley in an East Valley Division second-round game. That was St. Margaret’s closest victory since it beat Maranatha, 21-20, in the Northeast Division final in 2006. St. Margaret’s is one victory from tying the county consecutive-victories streak of 41 set by Mission Viejo earlier this decade.

St. Margaret‘s is one of three undefeated teams in county football. The others: Laguna Hills and Tesoro.

That’s Tesoro undefeated. And, now, unchallenged as the county’s top-ranked team. 

Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com